Jason Says Vote, Alaska!

Candidates: 

• Senator Mark Begich (D): first elected to the U.S. Senate - 2008. Prior to that he was the Mayor of Anchorage (2003-2009) Senator's campaign website.
• Dan Sullivan (R): Alaska Commissioner of Natural Resources (2011-2013).  Prior to that he was Alaska's Acting Attorney General (2009-2010) and Assistant U.S. Secretary of State (2006-2009). Senate campaign site. 

Jason's Bottom Line:

• This election is a whole lot tougher to handicap for you - as Mr. Sullivan has never been a Member of the U.S. Congress (or the state legislature), so he does not have a voting record to look at. What I can say is that Senator Begich has been a strong voice for Alaskan interests (even when he had to stand up to the Democratic leadership). He and Senator Murkowski (R-AK) have a great working relationship and have partnered on many issues over the course of this Congress.
• Mark Begich is a bi-partisan Senator who has been a dogged supporter of Alaskans in the U.S. Senate. He's not perfect on every issue - but he fits the people of Alaska well. At least we know where he stands on the issues, even if we don't always agree.
• Dan Sullivan started out as a conservative, but not Tea Party, candidate who was able to best a Tea Party Republican in the primary. Since that victory, he has moved significantly to the right to try to earn the support of the Tea Party - recently securing the endorsement of the Tea Party Express. By in large, it seems that Sullivan is doing his best to ignore the issues and tie Begich to President Obama without revealing any issue positions.

Issues:

Access to Affordable Health Care

• Mark Begich: Supports fixing the Affordable Care Act (ACA - aka "Obamacare") to ensure that the protections that exist in the law remain (these include those under 26 being able to remain on their parents insurance, protection from pre-existing condition denials, ending yearly and lifetime caps on insurance benefits, etc.) and that we work in a bi-partisan way to increase access and reduce costs. Senator Begich continually pressured the Obama Administration on the roll-out of the ACA - even going public with his criticisms. Senator Begich has introduced 12 different bills, and co-sponsored 51 others, to make health care more accessible in the state - especially the rural areas.
• Dan Sullivan: Supports repealing the ACA (and supposedly replacing it with some unknown Republican market-based health care plan). Sullivan sued the Obama Administration over the ACA (and lost). 
• Winner: Mark Begich
• When it comes to increasing access to affordable health care Senator Begich has a proven track record of bi-partisanship and a willingness to take ideas from all ideologies in order to achieve better health care access for Alaskans. 

Education/Student Debt

• Mark Begich: Stands with Senator Warren (D-MA) on lowering interest rates on federally-backed student loans. Senator Begich is against school vouchers - supporting the improvement of public schools instead. He supports hiring more teachers, having smaller classes, and reinvesting in our public education system.
• Dan Sullivan: I have no idea....and neither do leading political trackers...
• Winner: Mark Begich
• Not only does Senator Begich co-sponsor Senator Warren's legislation to lower student loan interest rates, he has been a lifelong champion of strengthening public education through reform, investment, and local control. Likewise, he has been a strong voice for Alaska's students in the Senate to lower student loan repayment limits and make Pell Grants more accessible. He firmly believes in strengthening the middle class through quality higher education. I know these things because of his record. I don't even have statements or issue platforms to judge Mr. Sullivan by.

Pay Equity/Workplace Protections/Expanding the Middle Class

• Mark Begich: Senator Begich joined his Democratic and Republican colleagues as a co-sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and has been a career-long champion of equality in and out of the workplace - regardless of gender, orientation, race, religion, etc. Senator Begich was a strong champion of ending Don't Ask Don't Tell for service members and went a step further, supporting legislation that would have forced readmission of all service members discharged due to their sexuality or for engaging in homosexual conduct. He also co-sponsored the Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to end employment discrimination for LGBT individuals. Senator Begich also has a 98% lifetime rating from the AFL-CIO, 100% rating from the National Retail Federation on his Budget and Tax positions, 100% rating from the National Small Business Association, and even a 50% lifetime rating from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (which is pretty high for them to give a Democrat). 
• Dan Sullivan: Dan Sullivan says that the Obama Administration is the problem, and he's going to make sure that Alaska has a seat at the table in Arctic matters. Sullivan will also continue fighting back against the EPA and over-regulation if elected to the Senate.
• Winner: Mark Begich
• I know where Begich stands on the issues and I know that he isn't just going to attack the other side without bringing anything to the table. 

Reproductive Rights/Women's Health Care

• Mark Begich: Senator Begich has a 100% rating with NARAL Pro-Choice America and has spent his entire career protecting a woman's right to her own body. Begich also has a perfect 6-year, 100% record with Planned Parenthood Action Fund. I don't need to say anymore than that.
• Dan Sullivan: Sullivan believes that life begins at conception and that "we must fight to protect the lives of the unborn." I think that it's safe to say that Sullivan would be a supporter of personhood measures in the Senate. 
• Winner: Mark Begich
• Obviously this one goes to Begich. 

Marriage Equality

• Mark Begich: Begich is a lifetime supporter of equality. Begich has a 100% rating from the ACLU, HRC, and Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
• Dan Sullivan: Sullivan is anti-marriage equality. In fact, while he has failed to take many policy positions at all in this race, he is adamant that marriage is between one man and one woman.
• Winner: Mark Begich
• Duh.

Bipartisanship/Willingness to Work Across the Aisle

This is a big one for me as I deal with Congress every day for work. The willingness of a member to bridge the partisan divide is so important to get anything done. The super-partisanship of Washington is the reason that Congress is dysfunctional and has the lowest approval ratings ever. 

• Mark Begich: Senator Begich has made bipartisanship a priority in his tenure in the Senate - and did so in his prior roles as the Mayor and City Council Member of Anchorage. He and Senator Murkowski have championed many issues together (though she has been very dismissive of any connection that she may have with Begich, even threatening to sue him when he made the case that they work well together - that may have more to do with her desire to avoid a primary challenge in two years).
• Dan Sullivan: When Dan Sullivan isn't dodging taking a position on an issue, he's attempting to link Senator Begich and President Obama. Sullivan is a political creature, elevated to state-wide prominence by Sarah Palin (before she quit as Governor), and further promoted by Palin's successor. I see no indication that Sullivan will depart from the rabid attacks on Democrats that have been endemic in his campaign.
• Winner: Mark Begich
• When it comes to bridging the partisan divide to get things done for the people of Alaska, Mark Begich is the man.